It seems that TWU Local 100's strike was worth it to get the MTA to remove the two-tiered pension system from the table. But some observers say Transport Workers Union Local 100 scored one for solidarity by refusing to give in to a proposal to give less generous pension plans to future employees, winning a long-term victory that empowers the union in future negotiations. The removal of the two-tiered pension plan was the union's most significant victory in the tentative contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said Joshua Freeman, a City University of New York Graduate Center professor who has written a history of the TWU. "Clearly the MTA was not willing to concede that prior to the strike," Freeman said Wednesday. It's basically sad, due to the fact that to fight the MTA from hurting future workers they had to go on strike. I'm still angry that the media has let down New Yorkers and the American people once again. They'll talk about the "illegal strike" but not about the "illegal pension plan" of the MTA. Also, for the Mayor of NYC to use words like "thuggish" is unacceptable. But I know he won't apologize so I'll compare what the mayor did to that of a Bill Bennett or Trent Lott. Because he would not have said that if it was a bunch of Morgan Stanley stock brokers going on strike. Mr. Bloomberg I don't know what you were thinking or who you think you are, but I won't let you get off that easy.

(c) Independent Media Center. All content is free for reprint and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere,
for non-commercial use, unless otherwise noted by author. IMC not for content (expand this). more...